Tag Archive: OM-D EM5 Mark II

After the rousing success of the OM-D EM5, Olympus recently unveiled the successor to this successful compact mirrorless camera, the OM-D EM5 Mark II. How does it fare compared to its predecessor and to other mirrorless cameras out in the market? We shall find out in this review.

Design and controls

First things first, the EM5 Mark II looks very much like its predecessor. However, the EM5 Mark II offers some improvements in the design, with a better grip, easier navigation of the control dials even with one hand while still retaining a good, solid build for its body.

The camera offers a large and detailed electronic viewfinder, one of the best viewfinders found in cameras today which provides great detail and information and a fully-articulated 3 inch touchscreen LCD that provides a better intuitive interface. It also offers a built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for better sharing of the images caught on this camera

Superior image quality

The EM5 Mark II offers a native 16 megapixel image resolution. It also has a high-speed Live MOS Sensor which offers an improved performance and a remarkable level of clarity and speed in all aspects of image capture. The camera’s TruePic VII image-processing engine improves image quality as well in low-light environments.

The camera’s sensor allows for a maximum ISO of 25,600, and the dynamic range has been expanded for more faithful color reproduction. It also offers a quieter mechanical shutter and a fast, accurate, focusing system to better capture images

Image Stabilization

However, the EM5 Mark II’s killer feature is with its performance in image stabilization, a feature many cameras in the market today tend to overlook. In the case of Olympus however, they have developed for this camera an ultra-sensitive 5-axis VCM (voice coil motor) technology that employs updated gyro sensors for a full 5 exposure steps of compensation. This gives the camera an exceptional performance in image stabilization, being able to deliver sharp, clear still images even in low light or steady HD video when capturing movies.

Another good thing is that this feature works with any lens you wish to use for the camera. So there’s no need to worry about what lens to use that would offer stabilization as the camera does it exceptionally well for you.

High Res Shot

With an improved stabilization mechanism, the EM5 Mark II offers another interesting feature, the 40MP High Res Shot. This allows the camera to shift the sensor over eight frames and then combining them into one higher resolution image of up to a whopping 40 megapixels.

Please note though that this does not increase the camera’s native megapixel resolution; you will still get 16 MP on your camera even when using the High Res Shot feature. What it does instead is enhance the quality of the image taken into the camera and make it more detailed. Also, this feature would only work well in ideal situations and environments, such as still subjects.

Final Thoughts

The Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II is a worthy upgrade from the previous EM5 model as it offers more features and, most especially, an improved photographic performance.

Its features are not only impressive, they are also unique in the sense that not many cameras offer those features, most especially the image stabilization feature. That only makes the EM5 Mark II a solid camera that can rival any mirrorless camera in the market at least. If you are a surrey wedding photographer looking for a good mirrorless camera, or a camera that can provide an improved image quality, the Olympus OMD EM5 Mark II is a camera worth very much considering.